After Kevin Durant‘s acquisition in the offseason, the Houston Rockets were widely regarded as title favorites. While this remains the case for the most part, with the Rockets (41-25) in fourth place, Durant’s former teammate, Kendrick Perkins, noted a distinct lack of chemistry.
During a recent episode of the “Road Trippin’ Show,” Kendrick Perkins noted that there had been a shift in the Rockets’ energy. While many reasons could be attributed to this, Perkins expressed that Kevin Durant’s burner account controversy may have played a role.
“I see a disconnect in this organization,” Perkins claimed. “In my mind, I’m starting to think, I don’t see a lot of high fives, chest bumping, are they over the allegations of the burner account? The KD burner account. Are they over these allegations? Because since the All-Star break, when those allegations came out, this team hasn’t been clicking.”
“At the beginning of the season, without a point guard, for the first two months, they had one of the best offenses in the NBA,” he continued. “You can’t tell me what we’re looking at, this disconnect, Ime [Udoka] having to call motherf***ers out… They look like a team that’s not bought in all the way.”
“I don’t know if that’s a reflection of what happened. I don’t know if that’s a reflection of Ime. I don’t know what it is. All I know is their a** is going to be sent home in the first round.”
Kendrick Perkins’ recent comments regarding the Rockets, especially players such as Alperen Sengun, may suggest that he is being overly critical. However, when gauging the team’s performance since the All-Star break, the former NBA champion may have a solid foundation for his statement involving Kevin Durant.
Before the All-Star break, the Houston Rockets enjoyed a 33-20 record and boasted an offensive rating of 117.0 (6th in the NBA). Since the All-Star break, the Rockets have struggled to maintain their effectiveness, logging an 8-5 record and seeing their offensive rating fall to 114.1 (16th in the NBA).
Houston’s defensive execution has also suffered. Although the team posted a defensive rating of 112.0 before the break (5th in the NBA), it has dropped to 113.1 (14th in the NBA) since.
In the last 10 games, Houston has struggled to win consistently. With a 6-4 record in this period, it is apparent that the team hasn’t found a way to build off its victories, resulting in losses to teams like the Warriors and the Heat.
Needless to say, the Rockets’ scoring has taken a hit. Surprisingly, Kevin Durant, who is averaging a team-high 26.0 points per game on 51.5% shooting from the field and 40.6% from three-point range, has seen a minor increase in scoring, posting 26.5 points per game since the All-Star break.
Kevin Durant’s burner account controversy undoubtedly had an internal impact on the Rockets. With several teammates like Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun being called out, locker room tension is an inevitability.
While the team has rallied around Kevin Durant to some extent, there may be some reason to believe Kendrick Perkins’ claim. With the Rockets falling out of favor as a title threat, the team will need to address these issues sooner rather than later.
